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The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be a historic one. Not only is the tournament expanding and including 48 teams, but it's also introducing its first-ever Halftime Show. Following the announcement made by Gianni Infantino, social media users have begun theorizing on the possible artists that could serve as headliners, with many naming Shakira and Rihanna as their top bets.
According to various social media channels, Shakira and Rihanna were in talks with FIFA to become the first artists featured in the World Cup's first Halftime Show.
"According to various sources, Shakira and Rihanna are in conversations with FIFA to star in the first World Cup Halftime Show of 2026," wrote the social media account @Shhaknews in Spanish. "Let's remember that both artists are close to Roc Nation and the band Coldplay, who'll be in charge of selecting the artist that will be headlining the show."
Earlier this year, FIFA President Infantino shared the news that FIFA would be partnering up with Global Citizen to deliver the cup's first show of its kind.
“This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show worthy of the world's greatest sporting events,” said Infantino.
“We all know the power of football in uniting the world, but we wanted, actually, to go one step further by merging football and entertainment for some very special, very unique moments at the FIFA World Cup in 2026.”
More details about next year's World Cup
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted in Mexico, Canada, and the US from June 11 to July 19th. The tournament will last 39 days, with 11 cities in the U.S. serving as host cities. These include Dallas, Kansas City, Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Miami, Santa Clara, and New Jersey.
The final is scheduled to take place at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, with all games broadcast on Fox Sports.